More than 20 hours in, Treme remains the same admirable, well-intentioned, and even better-acted chore it’s been since the beginning. Its commitment to detail is unparalleled, its soundtrack is immaculate, and its drama is inert. I say this not with snark but with real respect: I don’t think David Simon much cares about making “good television,” at least in the serialized sense that we’ve come to expect. I think he cares more deeply about educating than entertaining. I’m no Dickens rider, but even I can see that Treme is a labor of love even if watching it can be laborious.

All of which is a long way around the barn to tell you that Treme kicks off another season on Sunday night. I don't think I am engaging in spoilers to tell you that the music is still glorious — there's about 40 seconds of Jimmie Rodgers's "Blue Yodel No. 9" that will kick your ass for you — and that the food may cause you to dive through the screen. Most of the regulars are back and, in the first episode anyway, the show is more a series of entwined family dramas.

...and "If you stay in New Orleans, you're making a choice."That Simon and Overmyer are making this one of the key themes of the new season suggests they have also made their choice. They figured out who they were, what they were good at and what they wanted to do, and they've done it, for three seasons (and hopefully one more). That it hasn't been a huge success is unfortunate but also unsurprising. HBO likes being in business with David Simon because they like being associated with the quality of his shows, and, I assume, what they stand for.